I wish all the best to all those who just became parents or are going to become parents in the near future. As far as my personal opinion is concerned regarding becoming a parent, I am really afraid of becoming one. I have talked about this several times with my family and friends and they all say that I am being over reactive regarding this. I think that being a parent is perhaps the mot difficult as well as most thankless job in this world. I mean, taking care of the newborn itself is such a tedious job, I have heard lots of people that they enjoy this phase a lot but I really salute such people. Upbringing of the children, their schooling, teaching them the moral values and making them understand the distinction between good and bad deeds; it all seems to be too hectic of a job for a person like me. I know I might sound a bit stupid saying this all but as I mentioned earlier, this is exclusively my own point of view and I might be wrong. This attitude of mine has so far prevented me from having any relationship with any girl so far and I feel so much obsessed now. My dad says that you ought to have your child at some point of time in your life. I don't know if he is right or wrong. However, it doesn't hurt me at all if there is no one tomorrow who would take my name and remember me because I am just as ordinary a human being as others. I mean, I am not Michael Jackson or something that I would love to be loved in the hearts of people forever. :(

Congrats to all the Moms and Dads out there, somehow, I have been skipping this thread. Sorry about that.

I have been down the baby road and can tell you for sure and without a doubt, a baby will adjust to you and what you do. The house need not be quiet as a funeral home for them to sleep, rather if you are next to the RR tracks, under a freeway over pass with jet airliners passing over head every 15 minutes, they learn to sleep through it all. Go ahead and make the normal noises and after they adjust to them, babies sleep just fine.

The ONE thing I can not say strongly enough though is to love and savor EVERY MOMENT with them, too soon they grow up and are gone and the 18 years and if you are lucky more than that, are but a blink of an eye time wise and too soon are gone. I can speak from history here, my son is now 28 and serving on an aircraft carrier in the middle east at this moment. It seems like only yesterday, we were worrying about waking him and wondering if he would ever sleep through the night.

In real life, my name isWayne P.Anything I post is personal opinion and is only worth as much as anyone else's personal opinion. YMMV!

thanks Wayne! and great advice Every so often I would find myself wishing for a later stage with my (now) 4 1/2 year old, and would catch myself and say, he'll get there soon enough, so savor the moment (and I got advice similar to yours even since before he was born). I feel lucky to have had people tell me that, because I've just loved every moment of him growing up, and now I'm doing the same with his little brother (3 weeks old now).

I hope your son returns safely from this tour!

.Always remember the most important thing is what ends up in your cup!

I hear you Ron, I wish someone had said what I did, to me all those years ago. I too kept wishing for the next stage and I regret missing the moments we did share together but I did not savor at the time. I have a VERY strong relationship now but there are so many things I regret, so many bone head things I said or did because I was "too busy" or "too tired" at the time. We are so proud of our son and the man that he is, we DO wish though that he would find a great woman and get married so we can have some grandkids to spoil. Then again, I am wishing for the next stage though I know that when it happens, SHE will be the focus of his life and HIS kids will be front and center, not us and his "home" as it is now. But then that is how things are supposed to be, I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.This was a couple years ago at the Midway museum in San Diego ca.

(Click for larger image)

In real life, my name isWayne P.Anything I post is personal opinion and is only worth as much as anyone else's personal opinion. YMMV!

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